Folding machine



Sept., 2 1924.

L. E. LA BOMBRD ET AL FOLDING MACHINE Flf Jul?! 2. 192] 3 Shets-Sheet 1 QN i MM um @NSN @Nww ww mm. M www NN o @f o www .i n s QW@ um o om Q a m o i/f n Kw ww Y ww Sw uw Q x N ww www Sept. 2, 1924 1,506,844

L. E. LA BOMBARD ET AL FOLDING HACHINE 3 Smets-Sheet. 2

Filed July 2` 1923 lln 4 4 W M' ,M n f f Sept. 2, E924.,

L. E. LA BOMBARD ET AB..

FOLDING MACHINE Filed July 2. 1921 3 Shorts-Sheet 5 Fig'.

. Patented Sept. il, 1924i.

LEN E. LA BOEBBDND HELVEN E'. SIDEBOTHAM, 0F CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSIGNIRS T SPECIALTY AU'I'MA-TIC MACHINE COEIANY, 0F CHELSEA, MASSA- CHUSETTS, A CGRPOBATON 0T MASSACHUSETTS,

FCOLDNG' MACHINE.

Application led July 2, 1821... Serial No. 482,934.

To all whom it may concern.' Be it known that we, Laon E. LA Boirindicating the direction of view for Figure 1.

BAiuJ and MnLviN H. SIDEBGTHAM, citizens\ Figure 3 is a perspective view of the parts of the United States, and residents of Glielsea, in the county of Sulfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Folding Machines, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to the manufacture of paper receptacles such as envelopes, bags or boxes, and has particular reference to machines for folding flat blanks on two parallel lines and gluing together overlapped edge portions thereof.

A particular object of our-invention is to provide a box folding machine which, al-

though employing no upper blank-forwarding belts, ensures complete control of the Ela' blanks during their continuous travel from one end to the other without liability of any of the blanks turning askew.

Another object of our present invention is -to provide an improved belt folder structure which will enable the belts to be slip ed od' from their driving and guiding pui eys when need for removal occurs, without disconnecting any parts of the machine.

another object is to vprovide means for adjusting the angle of those portions of the folding belts which effect the first folding operation upon the blanks.

Another object is to provide improved means for adjusting the vertical plane of the mid-lengths of the operative stretches of the folding belts, to vary the/distance of said belts from the fold or crease lines of the blank to best suit the character of the blanks being operated upon.

Another object is to provide means for eecting the various required adjustments of the machine without requiring wrenches or other tools.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as hereshown in Figure 2.

Figure is a perspective view of the parts at the delivery end of the machine.'

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the adjustable'mounting of one lof the folding beltI driving pulleys. Y

Figure 6 represents a detail section ou lined-6 of Figure 1, on la larger scale.

Figure 7 represents a section on line 7 7 of Figure 2, on a larger scale.

Figure 8 is a sectional perspective view of one of the adjustable sleeve rolls for acting on the folded 'edges of the blanks.

Figure `9 represents 'a section approximate y on line 9-9 of Figure 7 Similar reference characters indicate similar parts in all of the views.

Portions of side members of the frame of the machine are indicated at 12, said side members being connected by suitable tie rods. Two of the vtie rods 13, 14, (see Fig. 1 near the left hand end and near its mid-I length) serve Athe additional purpose of aiding tov support certain parts of the machine hereinafter described.

Mounted on transverse screw rods 15, 15, so as to slide on one and be adjusted by the other, are brackets or castings 16 (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) which support two forwardly extending barsv 17. The latter support two series of inclined frames 18 having rolls 19 which bear on blanks advanced from suitable feeding mechanism by the carrier belts 27 presently referred to. As the parts of the machine from the screw rods to the rolls 19 are substantially the same as described and claimed in our application filed Sept. 30, 1920, Serial No. 413,841, a further description thereof herein is unnecessary.

We will now describe the means for supporting the two carrier belts 27 in laterally adjustable positions. At the entrance or feed-supply end of the machine is a frame or casting 20 for each of said belts, said frame being mounted on the tie rod 13 and on a screw rod 21. For the other end of each belt a frame or casting 22, which is also a gear case as hereinafter described, is mounted on the tie rod 14 and on the drive shaft 23 and on a screw rod 24.

l Each of the two frames 0r Castings 20 is laterally adjustable by its own pair of screw rods 21, 24. Said screw rods are in alinement as indicated in connection with the rod 24 in Figure 4. Such mechanism is well known for effecting lateral adjustment and is not claimed herein. It is quite generally em loyed when it is desired that one side of t e mechanism shall be capable of adjustment independently of the other side.

The two rods 15, 15, are not operativel connected in any way, and therefore each may be rotated by any suitable means without affecting the other.

Bolted to the frames 20, 22, are two longitudinal frame bars 25 having rolls 26 on which the carrier belts 27 run, suitable means such as small plates 26 being employed for laterally guiding the belts.

Each belt 27 is mounted at one end on an idle pulley 28 (Fig. l) mounted in a frame 20 and at the other end on an idle pulley 29 supported in brackets carried by a frame 22, and is held taut by suitable tightener pulleys 30, 31.

We have found in practice that the carrier belts 27 keep a better control on the blanks if said belts, instead of being driven by end pulleys, are operated upon -by driving mechanism at a point intermediate their bl ends. Therefore we effect the drive of each belt by having its lower stretch pass between a drive wheel 32 carried by the shaft 23 and a wheel 33 so mounted .that the belt is yieldingly pinched between the wheels 32, 33 (Fig. 4). The shaft 34 of wheel 33 passes through an opening in the wall of the frame or gear case 22 and carries a gear 35 meshing with a gear 36 adjustable longitudinally on and rotated by the drive shaft 23. The shaft 34 is mounted in the yoke arms of an elbow lever 37 pivoted at 38 and having its short arm pivotally connected to a fork 39 having a threaded shank 40 slidably mounted in an opening in the lower part of .the casting 22. A hand wheel 41 having a nut hub engages the threaded shank, a set nut 42 being employed to hold the member 41 in adjusted position. A spring 43 between the nut hub and the wall of the casting 22 acts, through the shank 40, its 'fork 39, elbow leve-r 37 and shaft 34 to cause the wheel 33 to bea-r on the lower or return stretch of the carrier belt with sufficient yielding pressure t0 pinch the belt tightly between the wheels 33, 32 both of which, due to the intermeshing gears 35, 36, are driven by the shaft 23.

Owing to the drive of each of the carrier belts as described, and the mounting thereof on wheels or pulleys and rolls all of which are supported or carried by members located at one side of the belt with nothing at the other side to obstruct bodily removal of the belt at any time, much time is saved when occasion arises for efecti such removal. As shown by comparin n`figures 1, 3 and 4, there is a. clear space tween the inner edges ofthe two carrier belts 27, all of the wheels or ulle s and rolls being so supported thateit er fielt 27 can be slipped off into said clear space for removal, and after repairing or other treatment can then returned, or another one substituted for 1t b slipping it edgewise dver or onto said pul eys and rolls. I

As hereinafter explained, either of the belts 44 can also be removed or replaced without disconnecting any parts of the machine.

By means of the independent screw rods 21, 24, each pair of which may be simultaneously rotated by a chain and sprocket wheel mechanism well-knownl and not necessary to illustrate, either or both of the two carrier belts and their driving and supporting members just described may be laterall adjusted to suit different sizes of bla to be folded.

Owing to the clear space between the pulleys and belts of the two laterally adjustable frames-20, 22, 25, said frames may be adjustable into such close relationship as to operate upon the smallest sizes of box Of two prii' types of lmachines of this general character, one employs belts s.) twisted as to first turn up or break the blanks on their crease lines and then fold 'the u -turned portions in and down. Such machmes as heretofore constructed are not capable of having the belts adjusted se as to engage the blanks at the ro er distance from their crease lines for t e rst turning up or breaking of the blanks except to a quite limited degree. The other type referred to has inclined rods or bars which effect the first turning up or breakingf and said rods or bars can be adjusted, But, since the said inclined members are stationary, the friction of the. blanks thereon sometimes causes the blanks to turn askew which, of course, prevents proper folding on straight lines. Such inclined members also often cause objectionable marks to appear on the folded boxes. In both types of prior machines it has usually been found neces to employ upper driven carrier belts. n our present machine we dispense entirel with upper carrier belts and therefore al parts of .the Aentire machine are readily accessible for any kind of attention. The bars 17, frames 18 and rolls 19 ensure such frictional contact of the blanks with the two carrier belts 27 as to ensure straight travel of the blanks. This result is facilitated by the fact that no stationary `carried by incassa belts as those which do the nal folding, and the 'portions which effect such breakingWareso universally adjustable as to opcrate properly upon any width or shape ot blank of any kind of material used for paper boxes. The mechanism for effecting these adjustments will presently be described. l

Each of the breakin and folding belts 44 is mounted at its ar or delivery end (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) on a driving pulley 45 a short studl shaft 46 mounted in arings at the upper end of a casting or frame 22 and extending inwardly therefrom and having a sprocket wheel 47 connected by a sprocket chain 48 with a sprocket wheel 49 adjustable on and rotated by the drive shaft 23. |The bearing for each of thel shafts 46 is adjustable as hereinafter described to raise orlower the pulley 45. Each belt 44 at its end where the blanks are-fed to the machine, is mounted on apulley 50 (Figs. 2 and 3) idly mounted on a stud or pin carried by and projecting inwardly therefrom a bracket 5l adjustably clamped on the round outer end 52 cfa socketed rod 53 slidable on the square or angular end 54 of a rod secured in an arm 55 having a hub 56 pivotally mounted on a vertical sleeve 57 formed as a part of a bracket 58 secured to one of the bars 25 (see Fig. 7). The hub 56 is clamped in position, when the arm 55 `and the parts carried thereby are swung out or in (see full and dotted lines in Figure 2), by any suitable means such as a wedge 69 operated by a hand wheel 59 (Figs. 3, 7 and 9). The Wedge 69 is mounted to shift endwise in a recess or bearing in the hub 56 and has a ystein 69 threaded atE its outer exposed end. The wheel is internally threaded to fit the threaded end of the stem 69 so ihat, by rotating the wheel in one direction it act-s as a nut to draw the wedge in a direction to bind against the stationary sleeve 57 and therebyl secure the hub of the arm 55 in the desired vertical position or the desired position in or to which said arm has been swung laterally. Upon loosening the nut wheel 59, the arm can be swung or shifted vertically to the desired new position, after which the s'aid nut wheel will be again tightened.

ldly mounted on a vertical pin 60 rising from the bracket 58 is a pulley 6l having a single flange 62. rl`he pin G0 is not straight from end to end, its upper end being slightly bent or tilted (Fig. 7). 0n this bent or deflected portion is mounted a sleeve 63 and thepulley 61 is idly mounted on said sleeve. The lower or vertical portion of the pin 60 is mounted in the bracket sleeve 57 and is held in rotatively and vertically adjustable position by changing the rotative position ofl the pin 60' its 'upper end can be inclined so as to tilt the pulley 6l and cause its face to guide that portion of the belt 44 running over it in ,either a vertical plane lor slightly inclined inward or outward to best suit the particular blanks to be folded. Aind b adjusting the pin 60 vertically fthe pul ey 6l is necessarily vertically adjusted so as to cause that portion of thel belt to act on portions of the blanks at a greater or lesser distance from their crease lines.

v As indicated by the full and dotted lines in Figure 2, the portions'of the belts 44 which effect the first folding or breaking operation on the blanks can be caused to act at greater or lesser distances from the crease lines of the blanks. This `is an important feature of our invention for the following` reason Boxes are made of inaterial differing widely as to thickness and stiffness. To properly effect the action of breaking ou. their crease lines, the distance from the crease lines to the points where picked up by the breaking means needs to be varied accordine to the'character of the blanks, to obtain the proper leverage and to avoid opportunity for the parts being turned up or broken to buckle. So, for instance, the arms carrying the pulleys 5() are set in swung out position for thick stiff blanks, and are set in inner positions for thin flexible blanks. rlhe height of each pulley 6l is varied for the same reason. 'lhat is, the portion of each belt 44 running from pulley 50 'to pulley 8l should act on the blank at a greater or lesser distance from the crease line according to the characterA of the blanks. As has been explained, the hub 56 of the arm 55 can be shifted up or down on the sleeve 57 and clamped in vertically adjusted position by the wedge 69. Since the arm 55, by means of its extension members, carries the pulley 50 (Figs. 2 and 4), such adjustment of the arm adjusts the vertical position of that portion of the belt 44 which first acts on the blanks, said portion beingv that which runs from pulley 50 to pulley 61.

Each belt 44 is kept under proper tension by aspring 65 (Fig. 7) interposed between the bottom of the socket in rod 53 and the end of the rod 54.

Each belt 44 can be readily slipped oil from, or returned onto, its pulley 50 at one end (Figs. 2 and 3), and its pulley 45 at the other end (Figs. l and 4) because all of said pulleys are supported or carried by members located at the outer sides of the belts with nothing at the inner sides to obstruct such removal or replacement. This also enables the folder belts 44 to be brought into close relationship (when the side halves llt) of the machinev are adjusted close together) for the same purpose as explained in connection with the carrier belts 27.

For a purpose hereinafter explained, the pulley 45 at the delivery end of each belt 44 is adjustable. To this end (see Fig. 5) the shaft 46 is mounted in a bushing 66 which, in turn, is mounted in an eccentric sleeve bearing 67 having a handle 68 by which it is rotatively adjustable in its mounting in the casting 22 to vary the vertical height of the axis of rotation of the shaft and its pulley.

The amount of twist of that portion of each belt running from a pulle 50 toward a pulley 61 is varied by rotative y adjusting the bracket 51 on the round outer end 52 of the extension 53, thereby varying the inclination of the axis of the pulley 50. For some kinds of blanks, especially those made of heavy material, it is desirable that the twisted portion of the belt just referred to shall be incapable of yielding outwardly. To this end we support said portion by a twisted backing strip 70 connected at one end to a block 71 carried by an arm 72 extending from the sleeve 63. The other end of the strip 70 bears on the face of a block 73 carried by bracket 51, (Fig. 2) saidblock having a pin 74 engaging a slot 75 in the outer end of the strip 70. Said strip is of material sufficiently flexible to be twisted more or less to substantially conform to the amount or degree of twist of the belt 44 when the bracket 51 carrying the pulley 50 is rotatively adjusted to vary the inclination of the a'xisof rotation of said pulley 50.

Such adjustment of the degree of twist of the belt 44 necessarily a-lso adjusts the twist of the strip 70 to a substantially corresponding degree, owing to the manner of supporting the said strip at its ends as just described.

The portion of each folding belt 44 beyond the pulley 61 continues in a twisted direction and runs over guiding pulleys adjustably mounted on a longitudinal rod 76 secured in bloc-ks 77 supported by bar 25. Said guiding pulleys are indicated lat 78, and the studs or pins on which they rotate freely are adjustablyl mounted in brackets 79 which, in turn, are rotatably and longitudinally adjustable on the rod 76. By these adjustments of the pulleys 78 the portion of either belt 44 beyond the pulley 61 can be caused to travel in any one of a wide variety of paths to suit the particular kind of blanks being operated upon.

As clearly shown in the drawings, the screws employed for securing the brackets 7 9 on the rods 76 and for securing the pulley studs in the brackets have wing portions by which they may be manually operated directly without the employment of a wrench or other tool. Therefore, when it is necessary to effect an adjustment, no time is spent looking for or picking up a tool or adjusting a wrench. This is-true also of all other parts of the machine as illustrated, each clamping or holding device having its own manually operable part not requiring a tool to operate it.

O n each rod 76 is also adjustably mounted a double-flanged pulley 80 (Fig. 2) to guide the return or inoperative stretch of the adjacent folding belt 44.

To prevent the belts 44 from being deflectedoutwardly, such as by the resistance to foldin4 of blanks made of heavy material, si e guides 81 may be employed (Figs. 2, 4 and 6). Said guides are illustrated as strips suitably secured to the bars 25 but, obviously, they( might be integral therewith.

In the operation of the machine as so far described, the blanks are successively supplied at the point m (Fig. 1) by suitable feed mechanism such as disclosed in our application filed June 20, 1921, Serial No. 478,846, and are carried forward by the belts 27, the bodies or middle portions of the blanks being held down, close to their usual longitudinal crease lines, by the inclined frames 18 and. their rolls 19. As has been described, the arms 55, 53 are capable of being swung and fixed in adjusted positions so as to cause. those portions of the belts 44 which travel from the pulleys 50 to the pulleys 61 to mo-ve in planes more or less laterally and vertically inclined to suit the particular blanks to be broken and folded. As the blanks travel, their outer or flap portions are turned up, and as they continu@ to travel beyond the location of the upright; pulleys 61, said flap portions are folded in and their edges overlapped just before the blanks reach the delivery ends of the belts 27, 44 (Fig. 4).

It is to be understood, of course, that the edge portion of each blank carries a stripe of glue. The present drawings illustrate no gluing mechanism for the reason that in the complete machine of which the present drawings illustrate only the folding mechanism, the gluing mechanism is located within the area of the feeder as illustrated in our said application Serial No. 478,846.

We will now describe the parts of the present machine which frictionally engage the folded boxes and 'carry them to the pressing rolls 109, 111, hereinafter described.

As the folded blanks leave the belts 27, 44, they pass between upper and lower belts 82, 83 (Figs. 4 and 1) which are so located laterally, and are of sufficient width, to frictionally engage mid-width portions of the folded blanks, and carry them along. By suitable driving connections not necessary to illustrate the belts 82, 83, travel faster than the carrier and folder belts, for

l a reason explained hereinafter. At their i folded blanks where for the purpose.

far or deliver ends the belts 82, 83, are mountedon pu leys 84, respectively, said pulleys being laterally adjustable on drive shafts 86,8?.

An upper frame 88 is mounted on a screw shaft 89,- and connected to the frame at 90 is an arm 91 of a collar which is connected to the hub of pulley 84 so that, when the screw shaft 89 isrotated to laterally adJust the frame 88, the pulley is corres ondingly shifted along its drive shaft 86. xtendln from the other end of the frame 88 an connected theretoby a slot and bolt to permit tto be adjusted outwardly to tighten the belt 82, is an" arm 92 carrying a 93 for the inneror receiving end o said belt. A hook 94 extends from the frame 88 over the upper stretch of the belt 82 to retain the belt on the pulleys'which have no outer dangesi.-` A; roll 95 carried by a spring-pressed frame 98 pivotally connected dto the frame 88 Tat 9'?, bears on the lower stretch of the belt182.

A lower frame..98 is mounted on a screw shaft 99, and connected'to the said frame at 100 is an arm'101 of a collar which is connected to the hub ci? pulley 85 so that,

when the screw shaft is rotated to laterally adjust the frame i'f the pulley 85nis correspondingly shifted along its drive shaft 87. An arm 102 having a pulley 103 for the inner or receiving end of the belt 83 is pivotally supported by, and longitudinally adjustable upon, a ulcrum 104. A sprin 105 is connected to the arm 102 to hold it yieldinglylin a position determined by an adjustable stop screw 106 thereby enabling the pulley 1 '03 to yield when a folded blank enters between the upper and lower belts. A hook 10,7 extends over the lower stretch of the belt 88 to retain the belt in its pulleys. ,l

en the blanks einer e from between the belts 82, 83, they'pass En tween upper and lower driven shafts 109, 110 (Figs. 1 and 8). r'lhe upper shaft is preferably of uniform diameter so that any rtions thereof may cooperate with a pair o sleeve rolls 111 having splined connection with the shaft 110, to compress or squeeze the sides of the they have been folded to render the fold-` permanent by reducing the tendency of the folded blanks to spring open in case the glue has not set suiliciently vv,Owing to the coaction of the rolls 111 with the shaft roll 109 the margins where the blanks are folded on their crease lines are subjected to such preslsure that the belts18283 are not required to act as pressers but pn y to deliver the blanks to said rolls 111, 109. Each sleeve roll 111 has a Groove 112 engaged by a yoke 113 having a hub or sleeve :portion 114 mounted on a transverse rod 115 and adapted to be sepulley p cured in position along said rod by a screw 116. As stated, there are two of the sleeve rolls 111. For o ration the rolls'111 are adjusted along t e shaft 110 to positions where the folded blanks 'will pass with their folded edges between said sleeve rolls 111 and shaft roll 109, the intermediate ortions of the folded blanks, which inclu e three thicknesses of material due to the lap seam, passing through the wider space existin bctween the roll 109 and the portion o the.

shaft 110 intermediate the two rolls 111. f. As is customary in machines of this type (see Figs. 1 and 6) long tapering strips or shoes 117 extend far enough under those ortions of the folder belts to guide the partially folded blanks, one of which is in- `dicated at a in Figure 6, and hold them in contact with the carrier belts 27 during a portion of their travel. As shown in Figure 6 one corner of each folding belt is bevelled. 'his is to enable the surface of the belt which acts on the blanks during their passage along the shoes 117 to bear'atwise upon the in-turned flaps `of the blanks and to press the extreme angle or fold thereof. To facilitate an understanding of the reason for this Jfeature of the invention, it may be imagined that a cross-section of the belt 44 represented a rectangle instead of as in Figure (i. ln that case the upper right hand corner bearing against the'side guide 81 and the lower riht hand corner which would then bear on elt 27, would cause the belt 44 to be laterally bent or curved so that it would not press on the extreme angle or fold of the blank.

-f Yllhe operation of the machine is as tollows: l Blanks are fed to the machine at the point :c in Figure 1 as close together as their front and rear edge formations will permit. As they are carried along by the coaction of the carrier belts and the rolls 19 (Fig. 2) their flaps are turned up and broken on their crease lines by those portions of the twisted belts 14 running over the backing strips 10. Said strips properly support the belts against the resistance oered by the stid'est kind of material employed in paper box making, and the belts therefore act continuously to gradually break and then fold the blanks, no gap or interruption occurring as is the case where stationar rods or inclines do the first breaking. t the same time, the adjustment of the swinging arms described provides for all characters o blanks as well as can be done with ad- )instable rods which latter cause objectionable friction tending to cause the blanks to turn or get askew.

fBy the time each blank passes the last of the rolls 7 8 (Figs. 1 and d) it is comletely folded by the belts. From the rolls 8 to the pulleys 45 `the belts d4 incline uplll0 . ward slightl the degree of inclination be- .folded blanks tightly but onl ing varied y adjusting the bearings for the shafts of said pulleys as hereinbefore explained .-in connection with Figure 5. This relieves the pressure on the blanks so that as each blank passes to the fastertravelling belts 82, 83, its speed of travel will be increased. The reason for employing-speed belts 82, 83, is that many kinds of box blanks have rearwardly and forwardly extending flaps which are later to be used for closing yin the ends of the boxes whenl set up and filled. As the blanks leave the folding belts 44 in flat folded condition and closel following one another, the projecting ffaps referred to overlap and this, if not overcome, would interfere with the operation of the stacker to which the fiat folded boxes are delivered by the speed belts 83, 84. Such a stacker is illustrated vin our application filed April 6, 1921, Serial No. 459,134. The speed belts act to separate or draw the folded boxes 'apart far enough soy that their forward and rearward flaps will not overlap when they reach the stacker and so interfere with their orderly arrangement -in a row thereon. It is to aid in attaining this result that the bearings for the shafts of the pulleys 45 are adjustable, so that, no matter what may be the thickness of the blank material, the belts 44 at their delivery ends will not hold the with suflicient pressure to frictionally eed them to the speed belts. The pressure required on the edges or folded margins to remove any tendency of t-he overlapped glued portions to spring apart is-efl'ected by the rolls 109, 111, as hereinbefore described. 4

To aid in ensuring straight travel of the folded boxes while passing from the belts 27, 44, to the speed belts 82, 83, one of the guide bars 25 is extended (see Fig. 4) past the receiving ends of said speed belts.

A s shown b comparing Fig. 1 (which shows the le t-hand carrier and folder belts) with Fig. 4, one of the frame castings 22 is longer than the other, and its pulley for the delivery end of the folder belt is so located, as to substantially lap by the speed belts, thereby aiding in keeping control of the folded boxes as they p-ass to the speed 'belts since there is no gap past which the momentum of the boxes ,is relied upon to ensure their passage.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

1. A folding machine having a pair of blank-folding belts and pulleys for the ends of said belts, the pulleys for those ends of the belts which Ifirst act on the blanks being laterally and vertically adjustable independently of the pulleys at the other ends of the belts.

2. A folding machine having a pair of blank-folding belts, laterall 'adjustable u1- leys for those ends of the lielts which rst act on the blanks, and means for varying the inclination of the axes of rotation of said pulleys.`

3. A folding machine havinga pair of twisted blank-folding belts, laterally adjustable pulleys forthose ends of the belts which first act on the blanks, and means for varying the inclination of the axes of rotation ofD said pulleys to vary the twist of the belts. l

4. A folding machine having a blank foldsing belt, a pivoted arm carrying a pulley for the end of the belt which first acts on the blanks, and, means for securing said arm'in' more or less outwardly swung position.

5. A folding machine having a blank folding belt, a pivoted arm carry-inv a pulley for the end 0f the belt which fisrst acts `onthe blanks, and means for securing said backing strip carried by said arm to support the belt.

8. A folding machine having a pair f twisted blank-folding belts, a pair of pivoted arms carrying pulleys for the' ends of the belts which first act on the blanks, means for adjusting said arms vertically and means for securing said arms in more or less outward swung positions.

9. A folding machine having a pair of twisted blank-folding belts, a pair of pivoted arms carrying pulleys for the ends of the belts which .first act on the blanks, means for adjusting said arms vertically, means for securing said arms in more or less outward swung positions, and belt-backing strips carried 'by said arms.

10. A folding machine having a twisted blank-folding belt, a laterally and vertically adjustable pulley for that end of the belt which first acts on the blanks, and a vertically adjustable guiding pulley located at an intermediate point of the operative stretch of said belt.

11. A folding machine having a twisted blank-folding belt, a laterally and vertically adjustable pulley for that end of the belt which first acts on the blanks, and a vertically adjustable guiding pulley located at an intermediate point of the operative stretch of said belt, means being provided for rotating said intermediate pulley on an axis more or less inclined from the vertical.

12. A folding machine having a pair of carrier belts, a series of pressure rolls above said belts and extending part way of the length thereof, a pair of twisted folder belts extending past sai-d rolls, and means for adjusting the folder belts to cause those portions thereof which are beside the pressure rolls to travel more or less laterally inclined relatively to said carrier belts Iand pressure rolls. i

13. A folding machine having a pair of carrier belts, a series of pressure rolls above said belts and extending part way of the length thereof, a air of twisted folder belts extending past said rolls, and means for adjusting the folder belts to cause those portions thereof which are beside the pressure rolls to travel more or less laterally inclined relatively to said carrier belts and pressure rolls, said adjusting means comprising pivotally supported arms carrying pulleys for the folder belts, and means for securing said arms in outwardly swung positions.

1d. A folding machine having two beltcarrying frames provided with inwardly eX- tending shafts having pulleys for the belts, a clear space being provided between the pulleys of the two frames to enable the belts to be slipped od from the pulleys and removed.

15. d folding machine having two beltcarrying frames provided with inwardly extending shafts having pulleys for the belts, a clear ace being provided between the pulleys o the two frames to enable the belts to be slipped ed from the pulleys and removed, means being provided to enable the two frames to be laterally adjusted to bring the belts of the two frames into close rela` tionshi lo. i folding machine having two frame bars, carrier belts supported by said bars, a pair of folder belts, and pulley supports for the delivery ends of the folder belts, said supports being connected to and extending above said frame bars, each oil said support-s having an independent inwardly projecting shaft for its pulley.

l?. A folding machine having two frame bars, carrier belts supported by said bars, a pair of folder belts, and pulley supports for the delivery ends of the folder belts, said supports being connected to and extending above said frame bars, each of said supports having an independent inwardly projecting shaft for its pulley, means being provided for driving the pulleys carried by said supports.

18. A folding machine having two frame j bars, carrier belts supported by said bars, a

pair of. folder belts, and pulley supports for the delivery-ends of the 4folder belts, said supports being connected to and extending above said frame' bars, one of said supports being constructed to sustain its pulley at a point in advance of the other pulley.

19 A folding machine having a pair of carrier belts and a pair of folder belts, driving'means acting on the return stretches of the carrier belts, and means for driving the pulleys on which the folder belts are mounted at their delivery ends.

20: A. folding machine having a pair of carrier belts, a pair. of wheels engaging opposite surfaces of the return stretch of each of said belts, means for causing said wheels to yieldingly pinch the belts, and means for driving said wheels.

21. A folding machine having a pair of carrier belts, a pair of wheels engaging opposite surfaces of the return stretch of each of said belts, an elbow lever for supporting one wheel of each pair, a spring ilor actuat` ing said lever to cause its wheel to bear yieldingly against the belt, and means for driving said wheels.

22. A box-folding machine having carrier belts, folder belts portions of which at the delivery ends are above the carrier belts, pulleys for said belts relatively arranged to cause the carrier and folder belts to diverge at their delivery ends, and means for drawing the folded boxes away from said belts when they reach said diverging portions.

23. A box-folding machine having car`1 rier belts, folder belts portions of which at the delivery ends are above the carrier belts, pulleys for said belts relatively arran ed to cause the carrier and folder belts to diverge at their deliveryv ends, and higher speed belts for drawing the folded bores away from the diverging portions of the carrier and folder belts.V

2d. A box-folding machine having car-= rier belts, folder belts portions of which at the delivery ends are above the carrier belts, pulleys for said belts relatively arranged to cause the carrier and folder belts to diverge at their delivery ends, means for adjusting the pulleys of the folder belts to vary the degree of divergence, and means for drawing the folded boxes away from said belts when they reach said diverging portions.

25. A folding machine having carrier belts and folder belts and speed belts to which the folded articles are delivered, said belts being relatively arranged to entend past each other to keep control of the folded articles as they pass to the speed belts.

26. ln a machine of the character described, means for compressing the folded margins of blanks, said means comprising a roll of uniform diameter, a shaft parallel therewith, a pair of sleeve rolls on said ini shaft each sleeve roll having an annular groove, a rod arallel with said shaft, and `vokes fitting t e said grooves and having hubs adjustable on said rod.

27. A folding machine having `a pair of carrier belts and a pair of cooperating twisted folding belts, and guides for the outer edges of said belts, the folding belts being bevelled along the edges which, during a portion of the1r travel, `are close to the carrier belts and guides.

28. A folding machine having a pair of carrier belts and a pair of cooperating twisted folding belts, and guides for the outer edges of said belts, the corners of the 15 folding belts Where their outer edges and inner surfaces meet being cut away. v

29. A machine of the character described having folding instrumentalities and belts to whlch the articles folded are delivered by 20 LEON E. LA BOMBARD. MELVIN H.l SIDEBOTHAM. 

